Over 720,000 travellers have passed through the new Singapore Cruise Centre since July 15

SINGAPORE – The new Singapore Cruise Centre (HarbourFront) has processed more than 720,000 travellers since full operations began on July 15, leveraging automated systems to handle up to 18,000 departing travellers a day during peak periods.

A new system consolidates real-time data from the ferry and cruise operators, from check-in to boarding. This enables closer coordination to better manage the flow of travellers, said the Singapore Cruise Centre (SCC).

The standalone terminal, which replaces the former terminal at HarbourFront Centre, was designed to make the passenger experience more intuitive, said SCC chairman Loh Lik Peng.

Speaking at the terminal’s official opening on Sept 22, he highlighted its various amenities, including passport-less immigration lanes, self-service check-in kiosks and baggage drop-off points.

All five ferry operators – Batam Fast Ferry, Horizon Fast Ferry, Majestic Fast Ferry, Sindo Ferry and Indo Falcon Shipping and Travel – have counters on the ground floor of the building. These were previously spread across two floors at the old terminal.

Senior Minister of State for Transport Murali Pillai, who was guest of honour at the opening, said: “As travel patterns evolve, technology and innovation will be increasingly important in making these experiences smoother and more effortless.

“The upgraded HarbourFront terminal reflects this commitment – combining automation and thoughtful uses of space to improve the passenger experience.”

SCC chief executive Jacqueline Tan said the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal and the old HarbourFront Centre terminal handled a combined total of about five million travellers a year. With the new cruise centre, the figure could rise to between seven million and eight million in future, she added.

New technologies have been paramount in speeding up the processing of travellers, including passport-less lanes that she described as a “big game changer”. SCC has also made efficient use of space, with the boarding gate area able to hold 50 per cent more people.

“The last thing is really the fact that we took into consideration how the passenger moves, and how it needs to be intuitive,” Tan said.

Retiree Roland Lim likes that there are snacks for sale before departure, as well as the convenience of having all the ferry operator counters on the ground floor. The 67-year-old, who was headed to Batam to play golf, said: “It’s way easier than back then. And if you’re comfortable doing self-service, there’s that option too, so I appreciate how accessible things are.”

Batam resident Hasim, who goes by one name, described the terminal as “extremely comfortable”, saying it was a huge upgrade over the old facility. The 45-year-old maritime industry worker said the new facility looked clean and bright, and that the process of checking in and boarding was quicker and more efficient.

However, he had one complaint: The new building is farther from the MRT, even though it is connected to HarbourFront station.

“It used to be a much shorter walk, and you didn’t have to go outdoors,” he said in Bahasa Indonesia.